Local museum to host forum on legacy of slavery

By Michael Barrett

Published: Saturday, February 1, 2014 at 11:53 AM.

Slavery is a subject that sullies America’s history and still proves difficult to talk about openly 150 years after it was abolished. But there’s value in discussing not only the realities of human oppression, but the ways it continues to influence and shape this country, said Marcus Richardson, a Gastonia resident and a board member with the Gaston County Museum in Dallas. “Discourse and honesty help to bring about better understanding,” said Richardson, who will partake in a public discussion on the polarizing topic next month. “It eliminates hatred.” Richardson, an Air Force veteran and retired insurance agent, along with fellow museum board member and Gastonia artist Jim Biggers, will take part in an event titled “The Legacy of Slavery.” It will be both a lecture and an open forum Feb. 8.

Jason Luker, the museum’s program coordinator, will help guide the informal discussion. The program will focus on slavery’s profound effect on the development of the United States, as well as how the legacy of the “peculiar institution” has changed since the early 19th century. Modern understandings and debates on equality, personal rights and government authority were all shaped within the shadow of slavery, Luker said. Admission is free, but visitors must RSVP by Monday, Feb. 3 to be guaranteed a seat. It’s possible the discussion will run beyond the allotted one-hour time frame. While Luker is white, Richardson and Biggers are black. Their own observations about the effects of slavery and its legacy will reflect the varying perspectives people across America have, depending on factors such as race, cultural background and education. “We all have different views, depending on where we came from,” said Luker. “We wanted to look at where the rubber meets the road, and how this affected us all individually.”

Richardson is a Detroit native, and will provide the insight of a black man who grew up in the Jim Crowe era farther north. Biggers, a Gastonia native, will be able to speak more directly about the experience here. Richardson acknowledged that for many black Americans, there’s lingering resentment about the socio-economic effects of slavery. “I think what we want to focus on here is not so much the anger, even though one of the great legacies of slavery today is fear and hatred,” he said. There’s an assumption among many whites that the United States achieved a pivotal benchmark by electing a president who has black heritage, Richardson said. But while it was notable, it hasn’t eradicated many of the lingering negative effects of slavery, he said. “There are so many people in this country who think racism is dead,” he said. “But it’s still there. There are no more lynchings. But it’s gone covert as opposed to overt.” Richardson’s hope is that discussions such as the one on Feb. 8 will prompt people to think about how hatred, prejudice and racism are learned behaviors that are not part of any human being’s DNA. “Multi-cultural societies tend to understand each other,” he said. “It’s that awareness of, ‘I’m not like you, but I understand how you are and why you are.’” You can reach Michael Barrett at 704-869-1826 or twitter.com/GazetteMike.

Slavery is a subject that sullies America’s history and still proves difficult to talk about openly 150 years after it was abolished. But there’s value in discussing not only the realities of human oppression, but the ways it continues to influence and shape this country, said Marcus Richardson, a Gastonia resident and a board member with the Gaston County Museum in Dallas. “Discourse and honesty help to bring about better understanding,” said Richardson, who will partake in a public discussion on the polarizing topic next month. “It eliminates hatred.” Richardson, an Air Force veteran and retired insurance agent, along with fellow museum board member and Gastonia artist Jim Biggers, will take part in an event titled “The Legacy of Slavery.” It will be both a lecture and an open forum Feb. 8.

Jason Luker, the museum’s program coordinator, will help guide the informal discussion. The program will focus on slavery’s profound effect on the development of the United States, as well as how the legacy of the “peculiar institution” has changed since the early 19th century. Modern understandings and debates on equality, personal rights and government authority were all shaped within the shadow of slavery, Luker said. Admission is free, but visitors must RSVP by Monday, Feb. 3 to be guaranteed a seat. It’s possible the discussion will run beyond the allotted one-hour time frame. While Luker is white, Richardson and Biggers are black. Their own observations about the effects of slavery and its legacy will reflect the varying perspectives people across America have, depending on factors such as race, cultural background and education. “We all have different views, depending on where we came from,” said Luker. “We wanted to look at where the rubber meets the road, and how this affected us all individually.”

Richardson is a Detroit native, and will provide the insight of a black man who grew up in the Jim Crowe era farther north. Biggers, a Gastonia native, will be able to speak more directly about the experience here. Richardson acknowledged that for many black Americans, there’s lingering resentment about the socio-economic effects of slavery. “I think what we want to focus on here is not so much the anger, even though one of the great legacies of slavery today is fear and hatred,” he said. There’s an assumption among many whites that the United States achieved a pivotal benchmark by electing a president who has black heritage, Richardson said. But while it was notable, it hasn’t eradicated many of the lingering negative effects of slavery, he said. “There are so many people in this country who think racism is dead,” he said. “But it’s still there. There are no more lynchings. But it’s gone covert as opposed to overt.” Richardson’s hope is that discussions such as the one on Feb. 8 will prompt people to think about how hatred, prejudice and racism are learned behaviors that are not part of any human being’s DNA. “Multi-cultural societies tend to understand each other,” he said. “It’s that awareness of, ‘I’m not like you, but I understand how you are and why you are.’” You can reach Michael Barrett at 704-869-1826 or twitter.com/GazetteMike.

What: The Legacy of Slavery

When: 1 to 2 p.m. Feb. 8

Where: Gaston County Museum, 131 W. Main St., Dallas

Why: The lecture and open forum will focus on slavery’s profound effect on the development of the United States, as well as modern opinions on equality, personal rights and government authority.

How to attend: Admission is free, but visitors must RSVP by Feb. 3. Call Jason Luker at 704-922-7681, ext. 105, to reserve a spot.